Question

What are the medical assistant's roles in preoperative instructions?

Answer 1

The medical assistant's roles in preoperative instructions involve confirming team introductions, verifying patient information, reviewing critical events, confirming antibiotic administration, ensuring imaging results, performing time-outs, and reviewing procedure details.

Step-by-step explanation:

Roles of a Medical Assistant in Preoperative Instructions

The medical assistant plays an important role in preoperative instructions by ensuring proper communication, coordination, and safety measures are in place. Here are the specific responsibilities:

1. Confirming Team Introductions: The medical assistant confirms that all team members have been introduced by name and role, including the surgeon, nurse, and anesthesia professional.
2. Verifying Patient Information: The medical assistant confirms the patient's identity, surgical site, and procedure before the operation begins.
3. Reviewing Critical Events: The medical assistant participates in the review of anticipated critical events, such as the surgeon reviewing critical steps, operative duration, and anticipated blood loss, and the anesthesia staff addressing concerns specific to the patient.
4. Confirming Antibiotic Administration: The medical assistant confirms that prophylactic antibiotics have been administered at least 60 minutes before incision or verifies that antibiotics are not indicated.
5. Ensuring Imaging Results: The medical assistant verifies that all essential imaging results for the correct patient are displayed in the operating room.
6. Performing Time Outs: The medical assistant participates in the time out procedure before the skin incision, ensuring that all team members orally confirm the patient's identity, surgical site and procedure, consent, and that necessary equipment and assistance are available.
7. Reviewing Procedure Details: The medical assistant reviews procedure-related information aloud with the team, including the name of the procedure, completeness of needle, sponge, and instrument counts, correct labeling of specimens, and addressing any equipment issues that need attention.

These roles ensure patient safety, proper communication, and adherence to protocols during the preoperative phase.